“I cannot remember when I didn’t draw. My formative years were spent doodling in the margins. Having grown up around restaurateurs, I am by nature drawn to drama, storytelling and have acquired a lifelong habit of people watching. Which explains why I am particularly enamored with street scenes, beach people, figures in an environment, subjects with a narrative flair. There really isn’t any subject that I don’t love to paint, it could be a plein air scenic day at the coast, a farm, a still life or a large boat scene, children in the surf. I continue to challenge myself using oils and have recently branched out to pastels".

Nicole Kennedy, Captain Tom, 2017, oil on linen, 20"x16" Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society

Nicole Kennedy was honored in 2017 to receive Signature Member Status with the American Impressionist SocietyIn 2016 Nicole won 2 awards for "Surfing Sisters ; “Outstanding Figurative” in exhibit WPSE and Award of Excellence in the National Oil & Acrylic Painters. In 2011, 2015 and 2016 Nicole was juried into American Impressionist Society’s juried shows winning the the Southwest Art Magazine Award of Excellence in 2011. Nicole was juried into Oil Painters of America Regional Exhibit2013, 2014, 2015. She was juried into the Women Painters of the Southeast , 2013,’14,’15,’16. Sept 2011 Audubon Artists National exhibit at Salmagundi Club NYC Nicole won the Crimi Oil Awardand with the same art organization the Jack Richeson Award of Excellence in the '09 exhibit.

In North Carolina, Nicole won Best NC State Fair scene in 2010, 1st Place in the Annual Juried Fine Arts League of Cary in '09 and 1st Place in the annual juried Durham Arts Guild exhibit- 2001

Nicole's paintings have appeared in American Art Collector, various issues from 2010 - '14. In 2007, a 2 page spread inArtists and Galleries of the South Magazine. She has been featured for her cityscapes & ballet series in the Raleigh News & Observer. Her works have also appeared in, Southern Living, Our State Magazine, multiple page feature in Wrightsville Beach Magazine and many more. She recently had over 10 figurative paintings published in the coffee table book, Painting NC, A Visual Journey, 2012.

Nicole Kennedy lives in Raleigh NC and is from CT & New York City. She has been painting professionally for 25 years and also instructs art workshops.

Nicole studied at Parson's School of Design and School of Visual Arts in NYC pursuing an Ad Art Director career in print and TV doing story boards foir TV commercials. In 1996 Nicole moved to Raleigh opening Caffe Luna with her husband and started painting full time to decorate and sell out of the restaurant. In 2000, she established Nicole’s Studio & Art Gallery, eventually representing many artists from local to national acclaim. It is now the #1 gallery for art Instruction in the area.